Where is former Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba now?

Shakes Mashaba may not be a household name, but he remains the most successful Bafana Bafana coach in terms of win ratio.

The 73-year-old has had two successful stints with the national team but never managed to see out his contract. Despite this, ‘Bra Shakes’ has had a win ratio of 55% in the 58 games he was in charge.

Mashaba’s temper and attitude towards the media often led to his downfall, especially in his latter coaching years. Despite his success with Bafana Bafana and the South African U23 team, Mashaba has never impressed when coaching elsewhere.

Shakes Mashaba only lost five games as Bafana’s coach

He spent most of his playing career at Orlando Pirates before going into coaching in the mid-80s. He coached Vaal Reef Stars until 1992 before getting involved in youth football. In 1998, he was appointed coach of the South African football U-20 team before taking over as U-23 coach at the Sydney Olympics.

His team stunned a Brazil side that included Ronaldinho 3-1 in Brisbane in the group stages of the Olympics. Having succeeded in the junior teams, Shakes Mashaba was called to help out at Bafana Bafana after the team’s 2002 World Cup. He stayed in the position for over a year before being dismissed after an argument with Safa.

Having left Bafana, he then coached at Black Leopards before joining the Swaziland National Soccer team. With South African junior soccer teams struggling, Mashaba was recalled after 2010. The removal of Gordon Igesund in 2014 saw Shakes Mashaba return for his second stint. His tenure was most memorable, helping the team qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations unbeaten. His side also ensured that then-Afcon champions Nigeria were unable to qualify for the 2015 showpiece.

Despite a promising start to the 2015 Afcon, Bafana Bafana were eliminated early, and Shakes Mashaba was blamed. For the next 12 months, Bafana Bafana had a mixed bag of results and even failed to qualify for the 2017 Afcon. With 2018 still in sight, the ex-Pirates coach shook things up in the qualifiers and collected four points in his first two matches. An away draw against Burkina Faso was applauded, but a win at home against Senegal saw him win fans again. Unfortunately, that was his final match as Bafana Bafana’s coach.

Bafana and Shakes was a match made in heaven, BUT…

After the Senegal match in Polokwane, Shakes Mashaba lashed out at Safa president Danny Jordaan. He was later suspended and then fired. Bafana Bafana brought in Stuart Baxter, but the Englishman couldn’t replicate Shakes’ success, and the team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

After his sacking, Mashaba joined Witbank Spurs in the Motsepe Foundation Championship. The ex-Black Leopards coach only lasted four months before being sacked after a run of poor form.

In 2022, Shakes Mashaba reemerged and disrupted the Safa elective congress. Dressed in a tracksuit, a bomber jacket, and a beanie, the former Bafana Bafana mentor stormed into the building and called out Jordaan.

Bra Shakes has been relatively quiet over the years and has all but retired from coaching. With 32 wins from 58 matches, Mashaba’s record is underrated.